Cartridge magazine of a gun



Feb 1967 c. M. CHRISTIANSSON 3,303,741

CARTRIDGE MAGAZINE OF A GUN Filed April 1, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR CAEL MAUK/TZ CHR/ST/ANSSQN by I A 1- raRN YS 1967 c. M. CHRISTIANSSON 3,303,741

CARTRIDGE MAGAZINE OF A GUN Filed April 1, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m VENTOH J 4 mm. MAwe/rz CHR/SfiAA/SSON rates atent @iiice 3,383,741 CARTRIDGE MAGAZlNiZ OF A GUN Carl Mauritz Christiansson, Refers, Sweden, assignor to Alrtiebolaget Eofors, liofors, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Apr. 1, 1965, E. No. 444,628 Claims priority, application Sweden, Apr. 8, 1964, 4,360/64- 2 Claims. (Ci. 89-34) The invention relates to a cartridge magazine of a gun, in particular an automatic gun, and it deals primarily with cartridge magazines of the type comprising one or more compartments in the form of vertical cartridge magazine shafts in each of which cartridges are arranged in a vertical row on top of each other, the cartridge compartment or compartments being enclosed by a magazine enclosure having a closable port for each compartment for introducing cartridges to load the magazine. in particular the invention relates to a magazine of the kind described having an inlet port located at the uppermost part of a compartment in a wall extending essentially vertically, for introducing cartridges one by one in the longitudinal direction thereof to an essentially horizontal position within the compartment, from which position the cartridge then moves downwardly within the compartment.

An object of the invention is to provide, in a cartridge magazine of the kind described, an apparatus to prevent a cartridge from starting a movement downwardly in the magazine compartment before having been moved to a position in which it is located entirely within the compartment, that is to say, to a position from which the cartridge can move perpendicularly to its own longitudinal direction downwardly in the compartment to an unoccupied cartridge site further downwardly in the compartment.

In particular, an object of the invention is to provide an apparatus preventing a cartridge from tilting downwardly with a part thereof introduced into the magazine descending in the magazine already before the cartridge has been entirely pushed into the magazine and another part thereof is thus still lying above the lower edge of the inlet port.

With this object in View and according to the invention a cartridge magazine of the kind described comprises, in combination, a cartridge support means extending horizontally in the longitudinal direction of the cartridge compartment and located below the lower edge of the inlet port, said cartridge support means being movable between a first position to prevent a movement downwardly through the magazine of a cartridge introduced through the port, and a second position in which a cartridge deposited thereon is left free to move downwardly through the magazine; a directional force means tending to bring said cartridge support means to its said first position preventing a cartridge from moving downwardly in the magazine; a releasable retaining means having a member connected to the cartridge support means and a member displaceably attached to a stationary part of the magazine and arranged so as to alternatively occupy a first position to retain the cartridge support means in said first position thereof in which a cartridge is prevented from moving downwardly in the magazine, and a second position to release the support means to move into said second position thereof allowing the cartridge to move downwardly in the magazine; a releasing means co-operant with said displaceable member of the retaining means and with a door of the port to bring said displaceable member into said second position thereof to release the retaining means and leave the cartridge support means free to move out of the way of a cartridge resting thereon in the magazine when the door is moved to closed position.

In a preferred embodiment according to the invention the cartridge support means is arranged pivotally about an essentially horizontal axis between said first position in which a cartridge is prevented from moving downwardly in the magazine and said second position in which the cartridge is released for downward movement in the magazine, the pivotal axis and the part of the support means engaging a cartridge being arranged such that the support means is pivotal out of the way of a cartridge by influence of the cartridge weight and against the action of the directional force means.

By this arrangement, the result is attained that the cartridge support means will swing into its position within the magazine compartment to hold a cartridge by action of the directional force means as soon as the door is opened for the introduction of a cartridge in the magazine. At the same time the support means will be blocked in this position by the mutual engagement of the members of the retaining means. Due to the fact that the door can not be closed before a cartridge has been fully pushed into the magazine along the cartridge support means and the retaining means is not released before the door is closed, there is no risk that the front part of the cartridge starts moving downwardly in the magazine while the rear part thereof is still prevented by the lower edge of the inlet port for moving downwardly. Towards the end of the closing movement of the door, which can thus not be closed as long as a portion of the cartridge is still outside the port, the retaining means is released and the cartridge left free to move downwardly in the magazine. If further cartridges are to be fed into the magazine, the door is thereafter again opened and the lapse of events repeated.

The invention will become more clearly apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 schematically shows the arrangement of a cartridge magazine in form of two parts arranged on either side of the gun barrel and ramming means, each magazine part comprising a plurality of compartments in form of vertical shafts,

FIG. 2 shows the upper part of a cartridge compartment, inlet port for cartridges and a door pertaining thereto, and a cartridge support means arranged in accordance with the invention,

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the cartridge support means and the retaining means co-operant therewith in a vertical sec tion along lines IIIHI in FIG. 5 and IV1V in FIG. 6, respectively, and

FIGS. 5 and 6 show details of an embodiment of the cartridge support retaining means cooperant with the door of the cartridge inlet port.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates how a cartridge magazine comprising an apparatus according to the invention may be arranged on an automatic gun. The cartridge magazine of a gun having a barrel 1 and ramming means arranged within an enclosure 2 comprises, in the embodiment as illustrated, two magazine parts 3, each comprising means for feeding cartridges forward to the ramming means located within the enclosure 2. Said means are not illustrated more in detail as not belonging to the present invention. The cartridge magazine comprises a plurality of cartridge compartments in the shape of magazine shafts 4. With the magazine charged with cart-ridges, cartridges 5 are piled horizontally on top of each other in vertical rows in the compartments, in preparedness to be fed forward during the loading of the gun. Each compartment comprises, as further illustrated in PEG. 2, a cartridge inlet port 6 located at the rear side of the compartment in the upper part thereof. A door 8 is attached to the rear compartment wall and pivotal about a hinge 7 to close and open the port.

In order to :prevent a cart-ridge, when pushed in the magazine through the port, from moving into an oblique position in the magazine by the forward portion of the cartridge moving downwandly, a cartridge support means is, as previously mentioned, arranged within the compartment so as to extend essentially horizontally in the longitudinal direction of the compartment inside and below the port adjacent the lower edge thereof. In the embodiment as illustrated, the cartridge support means consists of a curved guide .plate 19, one longitudinal edge of which is attached to a pivotal shaft 11 located aside the magazine compartment and extending in the longitudinal direction thereof. The pivotal shaft 11 is hinged in walls enclosing the magazine compartments laterally, or in support bars 12. The guide plate it is pivotal about the shaft 11 to a first position within the magazine compartment illustrated in FIG. 3, in which it occupies a position so as to support a cartridge fed into the magazine compartment through the port 8, and into a second position, in which the cartridge is released to move downwardly in the magazine. The guide plate it) is actuated in the direction towards the position illustrated in FIG. 3, extending into the magazine compartment, by a directional force means, here illustrated as a torsional spring 14 engaging the guide plate shaft 11 and a support bar 12.

The guide plate it) is retainable in said first position, in which it is swung into the space of the magazine compartment for holding a cartridge, by action of a retaining means comprising a catch member 15 attached to the shaft 11 and a member 116 co-operant therewith and displaceable between a first position, the looking position, FIGS. 3 and 5, in which the guide plate it) retained in its position within the magazine compartment to hold a cartridge introduced therein, and a second position in which the guide plate is released for moving out of the way of a cartridge. The displaceable member 16 of the releaseable retaining means 15, 15 is exposed to the action of a directional :force means comprising, as illustrated, a pressure spring 17 located between a stationary abutment i8 and the displaceable member 16.

The displaceable member 16 of the releasable retaining means 15,, 16 comprises a pin 2% bearing in a bore 19 in the magazine wall, to guide the member 16 while moving to and from its position for engagement with member 15, said pin 20 also constituting a releasing means for the retaining means l5, 16 by being so dimensioned and arranged that, with its end 21, it is co-operant with the door 8, when the door is being closed, to bring members 15 and 16 out of mutual engagement. FIG. 6 illustrates member 16 in a position in which the pin 20 thereof has been pushed by the door against the action of spring 17 to a position, in which member 15, as illustrated in FIG. 4, can move past member 116 and thus guide plate swing out of the way of a cartridge by action of the cartridge weight. After the retaining means thus illustrated having been released, the cartridge moves downwardly as illustrated in FIG. 4 during a rotational movement of the guide plate and member of the retaining means 15, 16. As soon as the cartridge 5 has left the range covered by the guide plate 16 the guide plate is swung back by action of spring 14 into the position illustrated in FIG. 3. When the door is thereafter again opened, member 16 is pushed by spring 17 into the position illustrated in FIG. 5, the guide being again blocked against down-ward movement before the introduction of a successive cartridge.

The door is so arranged and dimensioned that it can not be brought into a position for releasing the cartridge support retaining means before a cartridge deposited on the support has been pushed into the magazine so" far that the rear part thereof is free from the rear wall of the magazine compartment 4 during a following downward motion of the cartridge. For this purpose and in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the door may comprise a portion 22 which, when the door is fully closed, extends somewhat internally of the rear magazine wall and which thus, as the door is being closed, pushes a cartridge eventually not introduced sufficiently 'far into the magazine, into correct position for the following downward motion.

As will be evident "from the above description, the door is to be closed after each introduction of a cartridge, the door releasing the further motion of the cartridge downwardly in the magazine.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to certain now preferred examples and embodiments of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing 'from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A cartridge magazine of a gun of the type comprising at least one compartment defining a vertical cartridge magazine shaft for receiving therein cartridges arranged in a vertical row on top of each other and being enclose-d by a magazine enclosure having an inlet port located at the uppermost part of a vertical wall of the enclosure for introducing cartridges one by one in the longitudinal direction thereof to an essentially horizontal position within the compartment, the cartridge magazine comprising, in combination, a cartridge support means extending horizontally in the longitudinal direction of the cartridge compartment and located below the lower edge of the inlet port, said cartridge support means being movable between a first position to prevent a movement downwardly through the magazine of a cartridge introduced through the port, and a second position in which a cartridge deposited thereon is left free to move downwardly through the magazine; a directional force means tending to bring said cartridge support means to its said first position preventing a cartridge from moving downwardly in the magazine; a releasable retaining means having a member connected to the cartridge support means and a member displaceably attached to a stationary part of the magazine and arranged so as to occupy alternatively a first position to retain the cartridge support means in said first position thereof in which a cartridge is prevented from moving downwandly in the magazine, and a second position to release the support means to move into said second position thereof allowing the cartridge to move downwardly in the magazine; a door for the port; a releasing means co-operant with said displaceable member of the retaining means and with the door of the port to bring said displaceable member into said second position thereof to release the retaining means and leave the cartridge support means free to move out of the way of a cartridge resting thereon in the magazine in the closed position of the door.

2. A cartridge magazine according to claim 1, the cartridge support means being arranged pivotally about an essentially horizontal axis between said first position in which a cartridge is prevented from moving downwardly vin the magazine and said second position in which the cartridge is released for downward movement in the magazine, the pivotal axis and the part of the support means engaging a cartridge being arranged such that the support means is pivotal out of the way of a cartridge due to the cartridge weight and against the action of said directional force means.

No references cited.

BENJAMIN A. BO RCHELT, Primary Examiner. S. C. BENTLEY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CARTRIDGE MAGAZINE OF A GUN OF THE TYPE COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE COMPARTMENT DEFINING A VERTICAL CARTRIDGE MAGAZINE SHAFT FOR RECEIVING THEREIN CARTRIDGES ARRANGED IN A VERTICAL ROW ON TOP OF EACH OTHER AND BEING ENCLOSED BY A MAGAZINE ENCLOSURE HAVING AN INLET PORT LOCATED AT THE UPPERMOST PART OF A VERTICAL WALL OF THE ENCLOSURE FOR INTRODUCING CARTRIDGES ONE BY ONE IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION THEREOF TO AN ESSENTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION WITHIN THE COMPARTMENT, THE CARTRIDGE MAGAZINE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A CARTRIDGE SUPPORT MEANS EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF THE CARTRIDGE COMPARTMENT AND LOCATED BELOW THE LOWER EDGE OF THE INLET PORT, SAID CARTRIDGE SUPPORT MEANS BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION TO PREVENT A MOVEMENT DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE MAGAZINE OF A CARTRIDGE INTRODUCED THROUGH THE PORT, AND A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH A CARTRIDGE DEPOSITED THEREON IS LEFT FREE TO MOVE DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE MAGAZINE; A DIRECTIONAL FORCE MEANS TENDING TO BRING SAID CARTRIDGE SUPPORT MEANS TO ITS SAID FIRST POSITION PREVENTING A CARTRIDGE FROM MOVING DOWNWARDLY IN THE MAGAZINE; A RELEASABLE RETAINING MEANS HAVING A MEMBER CONNECTED TO THE CARTRIDGE SUPPORT MEANS AND A MEMBER DISPLACEABLY ATTACHED TO A STATIONARY PART OF THE 